We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Irina Titova-Kashan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Irina below.
Irina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Embarking on a mission to elevate the everyday lives of women with a touch of elegance, class, and freedom, Sattaché’s story is woven with the visionary journey of its founder, Irina Titova-Kashan. Years ago, while traversing the globe, Irina identified a common challenge faced by women – the lack of a fashionable and functional solution for carrying their shoes. Women were compelled to resort to less-than-ideal options, from crumpled plastic bags to worn-out totes, even cramming shoes into their purses alongside precious belongings.
Fuelled by a commitment to provide a stylish, graceful, and environmentally conscious solution, Irina delved into extensive research and collaboration. Her journey included visits to Italian fabric factories, the refinement of sketches, and the creation of numerous prototypes. Despite unprecedented challenges during the Covid Pandemic, such as the struggle to find the right factory and enduring prolonged delays, Irina’s unwavering passion, patience, and belief in creating Sattaché persevered. This resilience paved the way for Sattache’s successful launch in 2023, a testament to Irina’s dedication to addressing the specific challenges faced by urban women while contributing to environmental causes.
The Sattaché Classic Bag, meticulously crafted, stands as an embodiment of Irina’s vision. Designed to effortlessly transport shoes and essentials, the Classic offers three distinct strap options, an antimicrobial lining, and is constructed from recycled plastic bottles and ocean fishnet. This not only showcases hygiene, sustainability, and versatility but encapsulates the essence of Sattaché’s mission.
Irina’s journey epitomizes a commitment to identifying market gaps and empowering women to enhance their busy lifestyles while consciously supporting the planet. Sattaché’s offerings proudly carry the PETA-approved vegan status, symbolizing a dedication to cruelty-free and sustainable fashion. Irina seamlessly integrates philanthropy into her entrepreneurial endeavors through Sattaché Cares—a charitable program donating a portion of sales proceeds to global environmental nonprofits dedicated to ocean cleanup. With Sattaché, every accessory is more than a product; it is a statement of elegance, a touch of class, and a commitment to a better, more sustainable world.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My love for fashion has been a constant thread throughout my life. Simultaneously, my passion for helping people has always been at the forefront of my endeavors. So, when I was traveling the world and noticed how women lacked a functional and fashionable solution to carry extra shoes in bustling cities, coupled with my firsthand experiences navigating the fast-paced lifestyle of New York City, I saw a chance to really make a difference for women who want something practical and stylish. And that’s how Sattaché came to be.
My dedication revolves around seamlessly blending sophistication and functionality in eco-conscious products. Our flagship product, The Sattaché Classic Bag, is a meticulously designed accessory tailored for the effortless transportation of shoes and essentials. The Classic offers a stylish, hygienic, and graceful solution for the busy urbanite, commuter, and traveler, safeguarding footwear from scuffs while ensuring the cleanliness and organization of personal items. It provides three distinct strap options with five versatile wearable styles. Additionally, it is water-resistant, PETA-Approved vegan, incorporates an antimicrobial lining, and is crafted from recycled materials, including plastic bottles and ocean fishnet.
What distinguishes Sattaché from other fashion brands is the keen identification of a market gap—a realization that there was no fashionable and functional solution for women to carry their shoes in busy urban environments. The Sattaché Classic bag eliminates the days of haphazardly tossing your spare pair of shoes with personal items, preventing the spread of germs from shoe soles onto belongings such as your cell phone. Furthermore, it provides a convenient and elegant solution for changing footwear, be it in inclement weather, during transitions between daily activities, or at work or formal events when opting for more comfortable shoes over heels. One of the standout features of the Sattaché Classic bag is its versatility, offering five different ways to wear it, ensuring suitability for any occasion.
As the founder of Sattaché, my mission is rooted in seamlessly blending sophistication and functionality in products that not only serve a purpose but also align with eco-conscious principles. I envision Sattaché as a catalyst for positive change. My commitment extends beyond creating stylish products; it is a conscious effort to enhance women’s lives and contribute to a better world through eco-conscious practices.
One notable accomplishment I’m most proud of throughout the journey of launching Sattaché is how I stayed determined through all the challenges and setbacks I faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. I didn’t let the tough times get the best of me, and I hope it inspires other women looking to dive into the business world. I truly believe that sticking it out and being persistent is the key to success, and my journey is proof of the strength and tenacity needed to overcome the hurdles of starting something new. With Sattaché, I want to invite customers, followers, and fans to join me on a journey that goes beyond just fashion. Sattaché is all about embracing a lifestyle that’s not only chic and practical but also environmentally conscious. Let’s make a positive impact together—one stylish and sustainable step at a time.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Yes, we manufacture our product, the Sattaché Classic bag. The journey to creating this luxury shoe bag was a determined quest to bring my envisioned design to life. Initially, my team and I explored and collaborated with fabric suppliers and factories in various countries, including Turkey, Spain, China, Portugal, and Italy. Despite these efforts, it wasn’t until we connected with a handbag company in South Korea and found a suitable factory in Vietnam that everything fell into place.
The meticulous process involved searching for the right fabrics, ensuring they were recycled, finding the perfect hardware, and using vegan leather. However, this journey was not without its challenges, especially compounded by the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly delayed the entire process.
As for getting started, I always had a clear vision of what I wanted the bag to be, but finding the right factory and engineer to bring that vision to life was a crucial step. It took years of trial and error, and numerous calls and visits to factories across different continents.
Throughout this manufacturing journey, I learned invaluable lessons. The process demanded time, patience, and unwavering confidence to persist even when challenges seemed insurmountable. Despite my initial impatience, I discovered the value of this virtue and am grateful for the lessons it taught me.
One significant lesson was the importance of following my heart and intuition. There were instances where external suggestions clashed with my vision, but I stood firm, refusing to compromise on a product that didn’t align with my beliefs. I firmly believe that what goes into the bag matters, and it’s against my principles to sell a product that I wouldn’t wholeheartedly endorse. The Sattaché Classic bag, to me, is more than just a bag—it embodies a purposeful creation, intricately crafted with mindfulness, and designed to enhance the lives of contemporary women.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Despite some challenges in establishing my own company—such as assembling a team, consulting with professionals in various domains, and navigating the complexities of marketing, design, fashion, and business—the real test of my resilience unfolded during the exhaustive process of finding the right factory and perfecting the Sattaché Classic bag. The journey was already demanding, and the onset of the Covid Pandemic intensified the struggle. Restrictions hindered in-person meetings, and travel to factories became impossible.
In the face of these adversities, my team and I pressed on. We adapted, continued researching, and brainstormed innovative solutions to meet my goal of creating a bag that was not only stylish, eco-friendly, and functional but also exceeded all expectations. The Covid Pandemic brought a series of setbacks that seemed insurmountable, pushing the dream of launching Sattaché to the brink of impossibility. Moments of doubt and contemplation about quitting arose, each challenge testing my resolve.
Nevertheless, I persisted. I embraced persistence and commitment, shifted my mindset, and sought patience in the midst of uncertainty. It became a mental battle, and the decision to keep investing, especially during the financial instability of the pandemic, was not an easy one. Yet, my determination to see Sattaché come to life prevailed, and I take great pride in never giving up on my dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sattache.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysattache/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysattache/
Image Credits
Dorota Matuk Havakook